Angiotensinogen and endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms among Hispanic patients with preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE: We sought to establish an association between preeclampsia and t he methionine to threonine polymorphism at amino acid residue 235 (Met235Th r) in angiotensinogen in a Hispanic population. We looked for a relationshi p between this allele acid the allele in the endothelial nitric oxide synth ase gene (NOS3) that produces the A form (NOS3*A) with respect to preeclamp sia. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical data were collected from 87 patients with preeclamps ia and 53 control subjects. Patients and controls were genotyped for the an giotensinogen polymorphism allele (AGT*T) and the NOS3*A polymorphism. We t hen compared patients with preeclampsia and control subjects and investigat ed disease severity within the preeclampsia group as a function of genotype . RESULTS: The AGT*T allelic frequencies among patients with preeclampsia and control subjects were 0.72 and 0.70, respectively (P = .84). The blood pre ssure of patients with an AGT*T allele who also carried a NOS3*A allele was higher at earlier gestational ages (r = -0.052; P = .02). Analysis suggest ed that the systolic blood pressure differences were due to gestational age effects and the presence of a NOS3*A allele (P < .10). CONCLUSION: The AGT*T allele was not associated with the development of pre eclampsia. Independently of the presence of an AGT*T allele, the NOS3*A all ele was associated with a higher blood pressure at an earlier gestational a ge.